The Trades Councils and the Strike.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 71, 19 July 1912, Page 8

The Trades Councils and the Strike.

Valuable Information for Australian Unionists.

The immediately following paragraph appeared in tho '-Evening Post" ot Wellington, and many other papers ono day last week : — ••Requests having been received from the Sydney and Melbourne Trades and Labor Councils for information of the Nov Zealand Fed-ration of Labor's mission to Australia for funds for tho Waihi strike, tho Wellington Council h;us supplied tho information requested. Tho Melbourne Council, for instance, wislmd to know if tho Waihi strike had the endorsement, of the Wellington Council. The following reply was sent, also to the Sydney Council:— "(1) With r-gard to the appeal for iiiiciticial assistance from the Federation of Labor, a similar request was made to us, and, in addition, a deputation from that organisation waited on our Council. The dee i-: km of our Council was that we aro not prepared to assist in any way, nor can we recommend our affiliated unions to reader any assistance. "(2) Th- deiSioi! of our Council may appeur liars 1 !, but we feel that to give rv-ii a mora! Mipporl to a fight that we 1;.,;j.. V 0 to V v. nm.-f would not be a ■!'"ip to eith-r party. • ••(.-}) W- In-'-. <i.-ci.|i.'d, after a careful s'tidv, that th-' American system of v. ai'f'.u.' i-j a..'' -: : :.■■)!■.; in a country wh-r.' tiie -.•-.irimg-maii's vote is of the:-.■ 11r.e vaho as ''-at of the. managing director of th- Waihi mines. '•(!) Tho attitude taken by the red-ration of Labor towards our industtial legislation has been such that we are now running the risk of losing laws that have greatly improved tho position of many of our workers. For that reason we are compelled to refrain from giving any encouragement to the Federation of Labor. ■■!')) Needless to say, we found ourselves in a very uncomfortable position over tho matter, but we havo to study Iho interests of tho majority of the workers of the Dominion."

In regard to the paragraph numbered (1), we have already expressed our views, but it may be emphasised that it discloses a siriistorly significant departure from accepted unionist procedure throughout Australasia, and had never previously been done in Now Zealand. "Tho unity of the workers is the hope of the world" is the international industrial slogan. Wherever men are on strike, fighting for unionism and working-class organisation— fighting as much the bogus boss-foster-ed combination ofttimes called a "union" as the exploiters—that unionism built tip in the teeth of fearful odds has always been for the real tin ion risking all for principle and class. The interests of the working-class have impelled the fierce recognition of the ethic of working-class solidarity. And so, front a million platforms has sounded the grandly-clarion call: "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but jour chains—you have a world to win." This has become unionism's guide, safeguard and croed. Whatever be the reasons, and however plausible, "turning-down," a brother union in the time of danger and when help is needed most of all has grown to be the unpardonable unionist sin. Nevertheless, this paper does not fear to give the fullest of consideration to the "reasons" proffered by t'lte Wellington Trades and Labor Council as justification for as supreme an act of apostasy a-s any known in tho Labor movement. Taking the paragraph numbered (•_), we have in it a remarkable echo of that capitalistic viewpoint which has complacently branded all working-class upheaval—industrial and political— as "wrong." But by the luminous knowledge afforded by the exposition of the Class Struggle the workers have been made to sco that all action for their class is "right," and slowly but soundly have increasingly thrown overboard that capitalistic morality which, all down tho brave tram-pings of aspirational humanity, has duped and deceived them. Never a strike but what all the instil utiuns for Production for Profit, and all the societies they swayed, have tcuifully carried pious declarations of the sore numbered (-).. inferring that if strikers, and the agitators behind them, were not so wickedly sinful they wouldn't act "wrongly" and everything would be "right" in this best possible of worlds—as everything is, of course, "right" to-day, despite the endless robbery of the workers of three-fourths of their product and the ceaseless struggle for bare existence. Bah I —this Labor Council's sinousness of ethics makes us mad. But let us be calm, even in our irony. Notice that our virtuous council dues not say why it believes the fight at Waihi to bo "wrong." Notice also that, according to a motion by it printed a fortnight ago, it believes tho fight at Reefton to be "right." Next notice that although it believes the light at ltocfton to be "right," "ii would bo inconsistent with its policy if it gay© support to any union afttliat>cd with the Federation of Labor." So, it i* apparent that wbetlter a union's fight bo "wrong" or "right" the Trades Council believes it "ru_jbt"

to turn it down. We now a.«k wur Sydney and Melbourne Councils to wcte that vhe paragraph numbered (2) is wotonly rotten working-class morality, but is manifest hypocrisy —for ''right" or ; wrong," a union is not to be aided in its struggles against base employers whilst such a union remains affiliated with the federation of Labor. And, correspondingly, a union which sneaks out of tho Federation as did the Zambuk concern at Waihi, is to be upheld in its blackleg tactics. The first is "wrong," the second is "right." Trades Council immaculate!

Coming to the paragraph numbered (3), it would be instructive to hear why 1 a Council whose Head Scrang was irn-1 parted ironi America to put New Zea-1 landers up to things, turns and rendu poor America. "The American system : of warfare" cannot surely mean the, Professorial Millian system of warfare? It's the only "American system" wideawake New Zealandors are up against;, but it's rough on the Professor to be told so soon by bis satellites that it is "unsuitable." And now that the wages-chasing wage-slave of New Zea-1 land has been assured that his vote is of tho samo value as Mr. Rhodes', he'd | better not ask why his wealth is not' also of equal value. He would he a churl indeed if iv this most beneficent deinticvacy ho questioned the insuffici- : oncy of its divine equality of voting values. But :»11 the same, that paragraph uiuiiliei-ed (3) is a beautiful instance of unadulterated moonshine mischievous in the extreme. If the "American system of warfare" means that the strike isn't "suitable" in this country, why lias the Trades Council supported in tho past that which is unsuitable And doesn't it know that the same sort' of specious sophistry was trumpeted forth at tho times of the maritime strike, shearers' strike, Broken Hill strike, Queensland sugar strike, Newcastle striko, Melbourne agricultural implement-makers' strike, Brisbanegeneral strike, Wellington tramway strike, etc. That's a tall yarn also about the vote —nominally all right, in reality non-existent. Logically, the argument of number (3) would seem to suggest the folly of any system of warfare —United Labor Party's included—"in a country where tho working-man's vote is of the same value as that of the managing director of the Waihi mines," and because of tin's atuDcndous factl Paragraph numbered (1) is purely imaginative., if not worse. No such law as indicated could be named. Wo defy the Trades Council to name such a law, ask it to name it, plead with it to name it. If arbitration is. meant, it is, to say tho least, questionable if it has "greatly improved tho position of many workers." At the same time, the Trades Council is fully aware of the fact that tho Labor Federation has taken no steps to repeal even the Arbitration Act it scarifies and exposes ; all it has done lias been to try and induce the workers to realise that Industrial I'morn'oiii is more remedial, greater and sounder than arbitration, and that rather than registering under the Act it would be bolter to organise into One liig Union. Those who wanted tho Act might- have tho-Act, as far as the Federation of Labor was concerned—though, latterly, as the Act has been construed and utilised to destroy the Federation, a tendency to soli-de-fensive repeal advocacy lias been observable, but admittedly justifiable, seeing that the Act has been interpreted to give l-> of any union the power to drag one hundred to twenty tbous.ind under it. Tliough it is required that a substantial majority of members of any union mi) only cancel registration under the Act fai:d a majority vote also insisted upuiii it, on the other band, is allowable 'for an .absurdly-small minority to cnercc the big majority into non-ob-servance of the cancellation —which makes cancellation a snare and a mockery. lint now let us proclaim the hollowno ss of tins fear of "the tisk of losing laws" —i.e., arbitration. For these many years unions of the Trades Council have gone on strike, or threatened to go on strike, and the Trades Council has aided and abetted them. Nine-ty-nine per cent, of the New Zealand strikes since arbitration have been under arbitration. Mr. Reardon, piesident of the' Trad<\s Council, had a strike on baud this very year. In February last there was a tramway strike, and on the strike committo* wero Messrs. Ileardoii, Carey, Noot, Ivt'.vlisig and Young, all prominent nn'iiilh'is of the Trados Council. The M-c.-etary of the latter was the treasurer of tho strike committed. Mr. Young was tho chairman. Within a week almost every Trades Hall Councillor favored a general strike! Mr. ltca-rdon helped to frame and submitted a manifest*, to tho committw, and Mr.

Tmi-ng aignod the manifesto. It read ill part: "Wo ask the workers not to assist in the making of a scab city and ia the maintenance of a scab service. Wo ask them to make common cause with us. Labor is one. "Neither by working themselves nor by accepting the seabbery of those who lower themselves to work should men and women aid tho City Council to fasten upon the municipal employed— the people's servants —and the city character-stabbing and tyrannical methods, "Every unionist must link up against the attack upon unionism, and givo w« quarter to the. councillors who would establish a huge municipal seabbery, nor any consideration to the deserter and the traitor. "Racked unitedly by the forces of organised Labor in Wellington as WO are, wo arc confident that this of itself will ensure yvuir moral and financial support. "Organised Labor affirmed that our. fight bad to be made, or unionism bo imperilled. "The organisation must be greater than tho unit. "Workers! Citizens! Do not bo misled by the press in its campaign of misrepresentation and dictatorship. The present situation is largely press-mad*. In the interests of those ever alert to ike disabling of unionism, it sooled on ; the Council to revoke its own verdicts, and by its evil power made councillors ; recant upon their own professions and pledges. It has deliberately forced tb« I light it now denounces as unlawful and .unjustified. "The struggle is serious. The law may bo invoked against us. The peapie will be inflamed against us. This it the hour for that working-class unity and courage and generosity which has mado solidarity invincible." We endorsed and still endorse every word of that manifesto. It fits almost to a T the situation at Waihi. How tomes it that Messrs. Reardon, Carey, Woof. Ileyling aJid Young no longer believe that "Labor is ouo" or that "common cause" is no longer serviceable? How comes it that the press thoy then denounced they now use and endor;,c, and that the "law" they then hatpd they now love? The tramway strike was an illegal ono, too —while the Waihi strike is legal, right up to the hilt. The Waihi men legally cancelled registration uader the Act and as legally c-.tscd work. Tho men shouting for legal action "turn down" the legal action —amazing volte face! We invite our readers and the Australasian unions to closely re-read that manifesto. It is true, it is inspiring, it is sound—for tho working-class against the world if needs be. During the tramway strike many speeches were made of the quality and tone the Trades Council now deplores. Mr. W. T. Young, for instance, did not talk in the manner of paragraphs numbered (2) and (3). Far from it— and the papers gave hint nothing. Ho even pointed out the absurdity of legal tribunals: — They had "no time for pimps and spies," lie declared. "The tramwaymon had not received justice. How, indeed, could they expect to get it from an alleged judicial tribunal consisting of their employers. It was a sheer impossibility." This was uttered on February 1. On February 4 Mr. Young said:— 'Tf the 'Dominion' newspaper says much more in regard to this matter \re will take away its material so that it will not be able to say anything at all. (Ajiplause and laughter.) If it is not very quiet, we will close its doors just about as ciToctively as they can bo closed. We are going to have fair play, and if that malicious Tory paper enters into the contest too severely itwill regret it. (Loud applause.)" On the same day ho pushed an "American" resolution through a meeting of the Trades Council unions and (ye gods!) the Federation of Labor—< that body whoso encouragement the T.C. was glad to have thou, but now ia "compelled to refrain from giving any, encouragement" to. The resolution road: — "That the representatives of the various organisations represented at this meeting hereby pledge themselves that' they will, on request of the Striko Committee, recommend and urge tha members of their bodies to down tool* in support of the tram way men." And after the strike was over, Mr, Young spoke onco more —"iiiftani;ns<tory talk" it was called in the press— * and threatened to again stop every tram if he were summoned by His Maj« esty the Law. Mr. E. J. Carey also seemed to ba a different E.J.C. in February. lot February ho got a revolutionary resolution carried at a public meeting, at which ho said: — "If a settlement was not arrived al thero was nothing to be dono but ox* tend tho strike, and bring the Council to its knees. They also wanted iU known that because men wore forced! to strike it was not fair to expect them to pay all the cost."

We like that last senteneo. Wo wish it iva-a believed in by the Trades Council. It is as line a. thing as Mr. Carey ever said. It is an abiding truism.

On February 4, in calling upon the peopla to wisely agree to the "dictation" of the strike committee and endorse its terms of sottlomonti, Mr. Carey viewed the employers rather less friendly than he does to-day under the opiate influence of the Professor's daily page. Said he: —

'•The employers of Wellington wore out to kill trade unions and muin'cipalisatiou. They were the people out to run industries for tho benefit of the few ; and to exploit tho public. In the present case it was a cast: of fighting trade unionism with tho public's funds."

.Put in the word '-miners" instead of "Inmiwaymon" nnd "Labor councillors" instead of "city councillors," ami this is what Mr. Noot might havo said to-day, as he said it at a public meeting las! I'Vbriury: —

"Tho Labor organisations had lent their assistance to the tramwaymon because they believed the fight was not the tram workers' alone, but was rather the light of all. Organised Labor know there had been an organised attempt, probably by the Employers' Federation, to get city councillors to change their minds on the question and so bad taken the fight up."

The light of all! Yes, the fight of ail, when a striko is on ; when a union in in the throes of combat; when unionism is at stake, as it always is in a s It ike.

Now follows Mr. M. J. Roardon'a contribution to the speech-making, de-fivr-red in Wellington's record public meeting on February 4: —

"It was not now a question of whether tho men were right or wrong. Right or wrong, in the interests of the workers the men had to win. Every worker slionild realise that. No one could' tell the citizens at the present time what the effect would be if there was not a settlement at noon on Monday."

Wo are too angry at tho eleventhhour change in Mr. Reardon's atiiiud. 1 to add anything to bis thrilling phrases. "It all comes hack lo Hod-g-r." The T-ades Council has betrayed its cause and its class, has acted the renegade, has proven the traitor. Out of its own mouths is it condemned. No wonder that as per paragraph (o) it finds itself "in a vny uncomfortablepos'tdon over the matter." It shall be tortured all its days by its detestable desertion of its own professed principles. It has sounded its death-knell.

When Professor Mills, in behalf of political "safety," called the tune by publicly stating "the strikers in Waihi are certain to be beaten," he must have danced with very glco at the response of the marionettes. What unionist ov<'i' talked so during a strike ? Mills and industrial treachery are like lo become synonymous terms. Tho ratline; upon the Auckland trouble has its down-grado next step in the beaiingunder of the Waihi trouble. Fortunately, tvhat men sow limy sometimes reap. The Sydney and Moibourne Trades Councils —t'he last of which is at present lighting a scab union and should know, therefore, that I'OHf) miners are not striking against recognition of such another for fun —these councils should know that i'or all their sympathy with the Waihi union-breakers tho Wellington Trades Councillors arc' too cowardly to be logical and in consequence light, for those they sympathise with.

And now, altogether: ''Three cheers for the strike! •" Let all for it —and for iiceitou— practise that "courage and generosity" a fratricidal Trade.; Hail Council may preach I'yid--. manifesto), but not mean. 'Our iiy is tho cry of the ages, our hope is the hope of the world." The hours at" darkest before the. dawn. Fight for your life. And never give in. Never cj V( > in! In working-class pangs is working-class regeneration. The future is ours!